THE ACTIONS of president Donald Trump have become fairly predictable. This is particularly true if it has anything to do with the legacy of president Barack Obama.
Trump will try to undo everything Obama did; it almost seems as if he would like to pretend that the first black man to be in charge at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW, Washington, D.C. never occupied the office.
Not surprisingly, he has the support of many, many Americans, and even a few Bajans, in that outlook.

IT IS THE DREAM of parents for their children to do well, even if they have certain intellectual, physical or emotional weaknesses. Little wonder the Common Entrance Examination is such a big deal.
Parents who attended one of the leading older grammar schools are often eager for their offspring to do the same.
At the same time old scholars of the so-called newer secondary schools may well not warm to the idea of their children attending their alma maters.

THE BUDGET HAS been delivered, the reply has been given and the debate wrapped up.
Looking around us, after all the talk over three days in the House of Assembly, the sky hasn’t fallen in, yet, and those of us still alive, well, we’re still breathing mostly fresh air.
I wonder why it should take a Minister of Finance three hours to present the Budget.

YOU CAN’T HELP BUT hear the talk, whether it is a warning or friendly nudge about watching what we eat and drink.
Thankfully, it is all for our good; cutting back on the salt, exercising more, eating smaller portions and avoiding the saturated fats.
The words of wisdom whether from Dr Colin Alert or Professor Sir Trevor Hassell, or outgoing UWI chancellor Sir George Alleyne or medical practitioner, preacher and keep fit advocate Dr Elliott Doughlin are all the same. We need to watch what we eat, and of course drink.

ACROSS THE ENGLISH-SPEAKING Caribbean we often scoff at what is done in United States of America.
We hold dear to certain precepts we inherited from Britain, even if we do not follow them to the letter of the law.
So the way appointments are made to the Supreme Court of United States would be denounced by many of our legal luminaries, those in the political ruling class and defenders of our tried and trusted system as being “too political”.

SILENCE IS GOLDEN.
This approach has come to be used by many people, including those in leadership positions, who believe that in some circumstances saying nothing is preferable to speaking.
Of course, there are people who take this proverbial saying too seriously.

NEARLY EVERYONE seems to agree that Barbados is notoriously poor when it comes to the maintenance of state property.
The evidence is there. It always is. Take the prevailing circumstances in and around Bridgetown.
We have the former Louis Lynch Secondary School building at Whitepark Road abandoned and now a derelict. Yes, there was much speculation and concern that the site may have been contaminated or that the operations of surrounding enterprises may have affected the building and those using it.

THIS PAST WEEK a number of interconnected headlines in NATION publications caught the public’s interest based on reactions on nationnews.com and Facebook.
One was about a report on the brain drain of the island’s brightest and best talent who pursue greener pastures...
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THE PRIESTS at St Patrick’s Roman Catholic Cathedral have a legitimate concern.
It has to do with the behaviour of the sex workers who frequent Bay Street and Jemmotts Lane, The City.
These workers and their customers are using the church’s burial ground as a...
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IT HAS BEEN a long break, and it wasn’t because of writer’s block, but I’m back.
We are clearly into the silly season. The activity by the political parties that has been almost non-stop since the last election is certainly being stepped up.
We all wait in eager...
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ALMOST EVERY DAY this year, some organisation has been celebrating some achievement or highlighting an event of significance, it seems.
None of this has included journalism or journalists as a whole. In fact, a review of the past five years came up blank as well....
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THIS YEAR HAS been a turbulent one for labour relations in Barbados.
Perhaps this has been the case for a number of years now, but it simply did not resonate as it has in 2016. Given the range of issues facing workers in all sectors in both the private and public...
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ADMID ALL THE EXCITEMENT and show of nationalism regarding Barbados’ 50th anniversary of Independence celebrations, Barbadians must acknowledge a certain reality.
Independence celebrations in coming years could easily be overtaken by factors beyond our shores. November...
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MOST BARBADIANS SHOULD be elated to hear that the Barbados Workers’ Union is at long last going to honour the memory and contribution of Frank Leslie Walcott, one of the truly outstanding figures of 20th century Barbados.
He was a labour leader who would have rubbed...
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THE PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION in the United States was extraordinary in many respects. People who do not normally show any open interest in partisan politics certainly did on this occasion.
The election was nasty by any standard with both the Democrats and the Republicans...
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THANKS TO THE Internet and the easy access to US television, Barbadians and most of the world are hooked on the presidential election to be held on Tuesday.
Some of us will pretend that we couldn’t care less about the outcome and have no interest in the vote, but...
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THERE HAS BEEN a great deal of attention paid to Bridgetown in recent years. Barbados’ capital has an enviable history and along with its historic Garrison has achieved UNESCO designation as a heritage site.
Yet, despite all the acclaim Bridgetown needs extensive...
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BARBADOS IS IN a severe financial crisis. We may not be acting so; indeed we may not even believe this is really so.
Patronage at the fast food outlets, the frequent trips to Florida and New York, the ocean cruising whether in the Caribbean or the Mediterranean...
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IT WAS A hectic weekend for the Cave Hill campus of the University of the West Indies. The campus held its annual graduation ceremonies at which students who successfully completed courses of study were presented with their scrolls; a moment of pride and joy for each...
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HURRICANE MATTHEW left pure havoc along its trail this past week.
When the Atlantic cyclone bypassed Barbados, it was just developing into a tropical storm. It had us in an uneasy and uncertain state, fearful of what it could do the economy, our homes and our personal...
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OH WHAT A week it was. The last seven days were marked by rushing and uncertainty ahead of the passage of what eventually became Tropical Storm Matthew.
Yes, we may have six months or more to prepare for the Atlantic hurricane season, but the truth is that most Barbadians...
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IN RECENT YEARS much has been written or spoken about customer service in academic journals, by trade organisations and even by labour unions. It is a major issue in a service economy such as Barbados.
Good customer service is often seen as the difference between...
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IN SPITE OF THE inconsistent performance of the West Indies cricket teams, fans still like to follow them, whether in the Caribbean or overseas.
One of the best ways over the years has been via radio. Listening can be just as good as seeing, especially if there is...
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ALMOST EVERY PUBLIC and some private sector officials have been promoting China as the best thing for Barbados in its foreign relations.
It is seen as the country for almost everything – from niche markets for our exports to a potential tourist market and training...
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IT TAKES a lot of guts and determination to go out there and fight issues on behalf of the public when very often, the only interest some of the people on whose behalf you take up a cause is in a positive outcome. It is perhaps because of this lukewarm response from...
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THERE ARE SO MANY domestic issues of pressing concern that we tend to take our eyes off the international matters which should attract our attention. If we are locked on to the American agenda then our perspectives can be skewed. The issues in Africa should naturally...
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THIS PAST WEEK there were two big events locally for newspeople; the Budget and the Olympics. Well, we had to cover the Budget and the debate, but, if truth be told, the focus and interest of the media were on Rio. I suspect that this was even the case with MPs as well....
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THERE IS NO such thing as privacy once you discuss a matter in an open forum.
There is no such thing as confidential when it comes to social media - be it Facebook, texts, email, WhatsApp, Twitter or whatever else.
Hillary Clinton’s email affair should teach us...
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